Improvement in key-hole escutcheons



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEL HENRY T. BLAKE, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN KEY-HOLE ESCUTCHEONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 159,382, dated February 2, 1875; application tiled December 16, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known`that I, HENRY T. BLAKE, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Key-Escutcheon 5 and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1,front View, the cover turned down over the key hole; Fig. 2, front view, the cover turned away from the key-hole.

This invention relates to an improvement in escutcheons, such as are placed over keyholes, both as an ornament and as a cover for the key-hole. These are usually constructed so that while the key is in the lock the cover must be turned away, thus leaving the key- .hole open and exposed, and detractin g materially from the otherwise ornamental appearance of the escutcheon.

The obj ect of this invention is to produce an escutcheon which will present the same appearlance, whether the key be in the lock or not.

The invention consists in an escutcheon the cover of which shows a central perforation corresponding to the spindle of the key,

and divided at said perforation, one part being' stationary on the escutcheon, the other part pivoted to the escutcheon, so as to be turned away from the key-hole for'the insertion or removal of the key, and when the key is inserted the movable part of the escutcheon may be returned over the key-hole, closing around the spindle, and with the permanent part of the cover presenting the complete and unbroken cover, as more fully hereinafter described.

A is the escutcheon, which may be of any desirable form, and constructed with the keyhole B, in the usual manner. The cover is here represented as of the form of a cross, the center of which corresponds to the spindle portion C of the key-hole at this point-that is, over the spindle-opening. The cover is correspondingly perforated, and at that perforation the cover is divided, that part, D, on one side of the perforation made as a part of the escutcheon or permanently attached thereto. The other part, E, is pivoted, as at a, to the escutcheon, in the usualmanner. Therefore, when the cover is down or closed, as in Fig. l, the cover appears complete in outline, but with the central perforation, C, which in no way disigures the appearance of the cover, but, on the contrary, may be made an important part of its ornamentation. The outline of the cover is immaterial, it only being essental that it be of such form as to divide at the perforation, a part being permanent on the escutcheon, the other part to be turned away, the relative portion of the perforation in each part being such that the movable part will pass over the spindle of the key when it is in the lock. To insert the key, tu'rn away the part E, as in Fig. 2, and when it is in the lock return the part E, as in Fig. 1. This closes around the spindle, and covers the hole below as completely as when the key is not in the lock. To remove the key, turn away the part E.

This construction possesses another advantage over the usual construction, in that while the cover is closed over the key it is impossible for the key to be removed; hence the key cannot fall out, as is frequently the case in the usual construction neither can it be pushed out from the side opposite to which it is inserted, and to this extent makes a burglar-proof attachment.

I do not broadly claim an escutcheon-cover constructed with a slot, so as to be turned down over the key-hole when the key is in the lock, as'such I am aware is not new.

I claim- A key escutcheon the cover of which is perforated to correspond with the key-spindle, and divided at said perforation, making two parts, D E, the one part, D, permanent on the escutcheon, the other part, E, pivoted to the escutcheon, substantially as described.

' H. T. BLAKE.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. EARLE, C. V. FORBES. 

